India porn ban: This video explains everything you need to know

The DoT order says that content hosted on porn sites relate to morality and decency and is, therefore, subject to “reasonable restrictions” on the Fundamental Right to freedom of speech and expression.

The government’s July 31 order directing Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to block 857 porn sites came after Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand conveyed to the Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY) the Supreme Court’s observation that “appropriate steps” were needed against pornographic sites, especially those featuring child pornography.

The DeitY asked the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to notify the ISPs under the Information Technology Act to disable the sites.

The DoT order says that content hosted on porn sites relate to morality and decency and is, therefore, subject to “reasonable restrictions” on the Fundamental Right to freedom of speech and expression.

While the individual is guaranteed this freedom under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution, Article 19(2) allows the state to impose “reasonable restrictions” on its exercise “in the interests of the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States, public order, decency or morality or in relation to contempt of court, defamation or incitement to an offence”.

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Meanwhile, the industry body of the ISPs said on Wednesday that the directive was “vague and unimplementable”. The Internet Service Providers Association of Inda (ISPAI) has urged the government to withdraw its earlier directive on banning porn sites and the subsequent amendment that the ISPs are “free not to disable any of the 857 URLs.”